Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-01-29

bis dress and preoccupicd In his why's. But
his mouth and eyes wcro the Same, and when
he repeated in his old frank, ha~lf-mischicvous
way tho invitation Of his letter, poor little
Carmen could only hesitate and blush.
A thought struck him and sent tho color 10
his face. Your gentleman born is always as
modest as a woman. lie ran down stairs
and srizing tho widowed Plodgitt, said
Ilastily:
"You're just killing yourself here. Take a
change. Cone down to Monterey for q day
or wv with MO ond bring Miss Do Haro with
you for company"
Tho old lady recognized the situation.
Thatcher wus now o man of vast possibili.
tics. In all maternal daughters of Eve there
is tho slightest bit Of tho ~chaperone and
match maker. It IS the last way Of reviving
tho pust.
Sho consented and Carmen Do Haro could
not well refuse.
Tho ladies' found tho "Blue Mass" mills very
rauch as Thatcher bad previously delivered
It to them, 10 trillo rough and munnish."
Tut Ito mado over to them tho ono tenement
reserved for himself and slept with his mon,
or moro likoly under tho trees. At FIRST Mrs.
Plodgitt missed gas nnd running water. and
these several conveniences Of civilization,
among which fcar may DO mentioned sheets
aud pillow cases; but tho balsam Of the
mountain air soothod her neuralgia and her
temper. As for Carmen, she rioted in the
unlimited liconse Of her absolute freedom
from conventional restraint and the tndnl.
gence Of her child-liko impulses. Eho secured
Tho lodges Tar and wido alonc; sho dipped
into dark copses and scrambled over tho
sterile patches Of chcuaisal, and came back
laGon with tho spoil Of buckeye blossoms,
man=arita berries and laurel. But she would
not 1na..:o o sketch Of tho "Bluo Mass coln.
pany's" mills on o Mcrcator's projection
something that could DO afterwards litho-
graphod or chromoed, with tho mills turn.
Ing out tons Of quicksilver through the ener.
Gios Of o happy and picturesque assomhlase
Of r1iaoro-von to please her padronc, Don
Royal Thatcher. On tho contrary, sho made
a study Of tho ruins Of tho crulnbled aud de-
caycd rod rock furnace, with tho black
mountain ahovo it, and tho light Of q dying
camp lro shining uro 1t, and tho dull red
excavations II tho lolSo. but oven this did
not satisfy her until she had mado some
alterations. and when sbo finally brought her
finished study to Doa Royal, sho looked at
him u little detlantly. Thatcher admired
honestly, nnd then criticised a little hun,or.
ously and dishonesty. "Dut couldn't you,
for a consideration, put up q SIGN board on
that rock with tho inscription, "Eood to the
Cluo Mass %coulpany's new mills to the
right" ulll combine business with art2 That's
tho fault Of you Ccniuses. Cut what's this
blankotcd fSuro Going here, lying before the
furnacoi You novcr saw ono Of my miners
there-md o Mexican. too, by his scrapo."
"TAut." quoth Mistress Carmen, coolly," was
put IN to 81 up tho forcsround-I wanted
somethin. there to balance tho picture"
"But," continued Thatcher, dropping into un.
conscious admiration again, "it's drawn to
the life. Tell mo. Miss De I1aro. before I ask
tho old and counsel Of Mrs. PlodCitt, who is
my hated rival, and your lay figure and
modcl" "Oh." said Carmen, with q little
sigh. "Jts only poor Concho." "And where
is Conrho1" "a little i:a::sticntly.> "IIe's dead
Don Royal" "Dsali" "Of a verity-very
deud-r,u,dersl Ivy your countrymen." u
see-and you know hi.nf" "Ho was my
friend"
sChI"
"Truly."
@Eut" (wickedIy). isn't this a rather
ghas.ly advcrtisenent-outsidc Of au illus
trated news.?apcr-of ray property"
"Chas,ly. Don loyal. Loo. you, be sleeps
cay lin SPANISH, "cs the dead"
Carmen crossing herself hastily, "Aftcr
tho fashion Of the dead"
They wcrc bo:h feeling uncomfortable.
Carmen was shivcrinS. Cut, being u woman,
anil tactful, she recovered her head Grst ut
is a study for myself, Don Royal; I shall
make you another"
And sue slipped away, as she thought, out
Of the subject and his presence.
But she was mistaken; il TIC evening be
renewed tue conversation. Carmen began to
renee. not from cowarGice or deceit. q; the
masculine reader would readily infer, but
from some wonderful feminine instinct that
told her to be cautious. But he got from her
tho fact, to him before unknown, that she
was the niece Of his mean antagonist, and, be.
ing a gentleman, 50 redoubled his attentions
and his courtesy that Mrs. Plodsitt made up
her mind that it was q foregoue conclusion,
and seriously reflected as to what she should
wear on the momentous occasion. but that
night poor Carmen cried herself to sleep, re.
solving that she would hereafter cast aside
her wicked uncle for this good-heartcd
Americana, yet never once connected her in
nocent pcnmanship with the deadly feud be.
tween them. Women-tho best Of them-arc
strong as to collateral facts, swift of deduc'
ton, but vague as children are to the exact
statement or recognition Of premises. 1t i:
hardly necessary to say that Carmen had
never thought Of connecting any act Of hers
with tho olatns Of her uncle. and tho oirpam'